Drying process and apparatus



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Patented Mar. 2, 1926 2 SHEETS-SHEET I,

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F. P. BOLAND. DRYING PROCESS AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. l5, I919.

Patented Mar. 2,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2| @mvawboz 171 Bah-11a Gaol/17101 FRANCIS P. BOLAN D, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

DRYING PROCESS AND APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed January 15, 1819. Serial No. 271,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS P. BQLAND, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improve-.

ments in Drying Processes and Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a drying process for articles of manufacture such as fabric and is specially designed for employment with tentering Ina..- chines, an apparatus for carrying out the process being capable of ready installation either with or without modifying the construction of the usual form of driers now used with such machines.

A further object of the invention is the conservation of heat for drying purposes provided by employing substantially the same body of drying medium successively,

such medium being actively circulated and reheated during the drying operation.

A still further object of the process and apparatus is the provision of a simple and inexpensive manner of drying fabric with comfort to the operator, the invention presenting a compact arrangement in its entirety.

In the accompanyin drawings I have illustrated two slightly ifi'erent manners in which my process-maybe carried out, it being understood that these forms are only presented by" way. of example which are capable of many changes and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

In the drawings like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of my apparatus installed upon a tentering machine,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being omitted and with parts broken away,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a tentering machine and heater provided with a simplified form of my apparatus for carrying out my drying process and Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

One form of apparatus for carrying out my drying process is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings in connection with a tentering machine 10 having standards or uprights 11 with the usual tentering belts 12 for carrying the fabric such as 13 longi tudinally in a horizontal plane uninterrupted 1n its movement. A starching device 14 is shown at the starting end of the tentering machine 10 while a winding or take-01f reel 15 is provided for the fabric ,13 at the oppo- "site';-end thereof.

Drying, boxes or cases- 16 are provided along the pat'li'of travel of the fabric 13 through whichboxe's, the belts 12 and the fabric13 are adapted to pass, corner legs or supports 17"being provided for the boxes and-any number of the same desired may be employed. I

A heater 18 having heating means such as coils 19 positioned therein is placed in communication with the interior of the boxes 16 by means of one or more flaring nozzles 20 extending upwardly'communicating with a header pipe 21 tapped into an end 22 of the heater 18. v

A circulating fan 23, located adjacent the heater 18 in communication therewith has a conduit 24provided with nozzles25 mounted upon the boxes 16 and'communicating with the interior thereof,'preferably adjacent the opposite ends of the boxesfrom the points of entrance of the header nozzles 20.

The operation. of the fan 23 blows air through the heater 18 and header 21 to'the nozzles 20 arid thence into the boxes 16 upon and through the fabric 13 positioned within and passing through said'boxes. The

fan 23 creates a suction in the conduit 24;

for exhausting the air from the boxes 16 through the nozzles 25, and this circulation of the air both upon the fabric 13 as well as downwardly and upwardly-. -through the fabric in the circuitous path traveled by the air quickly dries the fabric 13 carrying the extracted moisture to the heater 18 for drying the same.

The boxes 16 may or may not'be provided with bottoms, the drying air in either event passing downwardly through the fabric 13 from the nozzles 20 and upwardly through the fabric to the nozzles 25. It will also be obviou that thedirection ofiflow of the drying medium may be the reverse to that described or in other words, the fan 23 may be employed for drawing the air upwardly through the nozzles 20 and projecting air downwardly through the nozzles 25. The

full effect of the fan is possible by the openv plified form of apparatus for carrying out my process is illustrated in connection with a box 26 of a drier with which the tentering machine 27 is provided.

The box 26 is provided with heating coils 28 beneath the level of the frame 29 of the tenterin machine 27 which frame as well as the fabr1c30 carried by the frame extends longitudinally through the box 26. Standards 31 are provided for the frame 29 and corner legs 32 support the drier box 26.

A two-part casing 33 is centrally mounted longitudinally upon the box 26 comprising a fan casing 34 and a heater casing 35. The operation of the fan 36 within the casing 34: exhausts the air from the box 26 through a communicating conduit 37 while the air from the fan passes through the casing 35 and is heated by the coils 38 therein'for expelling into the box 26 through nozzles 39. A door 40 is provided upon the top of the box 26 at opposite sides of the casing 33 while the box may or may not be provided with any bottom beneath the coils 28.

The operation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is identical to that heretofore described, the process being continuously carried out by means of' the fan 36 forcing the drying medium downwardly upon and through the fabric 30 from the heater 35 and drawing the medium upwardly and through the cloth 30 into the fan casing 34:. The air is continuously circulated through the cloth 13 and back again therethrough, the air being dried for reuse by the heater coils 38 whether the coils 28 are employed or dispensed with.

The casing 33 with its fan 36 and heater 38 may be easily and inexpensively installed upon any tenterin machine already employing a drier box 26 or similar means. The travel of the drying air is indicated by the arrows shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing and it will be seen that the air passing twice through the fabric 30 dries the fabric and when the coils 28 are present in the box 26, the air is dried between the time of its passing downwardly and upwardly through the fabric. When the coils 28 are dispensed with, the drying of the air is eflected by the heat coils 38, it being evident that the reverseoperation of the fan 36 accomplishes the same result in a reverse manner.

When the suction device is arranged tooperate upon the moving fabric at an advanced point from theair-injection nozzles the sets of differently operating nozzles will be caused to act upon substantially the same area of the fabric.

My process as carried out by the forms of apparatus herein described and capable of performance by many other forms of apparatus accomplishes an easy and quick drying of the fabric during its continuous travel through the tentering or other machine, the drying being even and uniform and requiring little or no attention on the part of the operator.

What I claim as new is 1. The process of drying an article consisting of forcing a drying medium through a restricted heated area spaced from the article to be dried and twice through the article-being dried and withdrawing the drying medium through the article from the sameside.

2. The process of drying articles consisting in forcibly passing a drying medium through a restricted heated area spaced from the article to be dried and back and forth through the article being dried and from one side of the article.

3. The process of drying textile goods con sisting in passing the goods through a chamber, forcing air through a restricted heated area spaced from the goods and through the goods from one side thereof and then passing the air back through the. goods in the opposite direction and withdrawing the moisture-laden air from the same side of the goods.

. operated upon, a conduit pipe communicating with the interior of the box, a heater communicating with the box spaced from the point of communication of the conduit and at the same side of the box and air circulating means for said heater and conduit.

5. A drier comprising a box through which an article to be dried is adapted to pass, air pipes communicating with the box at the same side thereof and at one side of the path of travel of the goods to be dried and air circulating and heating means for the box connected to said pipes.

6. A drier for tentering and similar machines comprising a box through which the article to be dried is adapted to pass, a header and a conduit communicating with the interior of the box at one side of the path of travel of the article to be dried, an air-circulator operatively connected to t e said conduit and header and a heater for the circulated air arranged within the path of travel thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANCIS P. BOLAND. 

